Victoria Baths is a red-brick and terracotta monument to the municipal ambition of Edwardian Manchester. The main facade, with its Islamic-influenced geometric tiles and Gothic detailing, gives no hint that this is a swimming baths rather than a town hall or museum. Inside, the original pool halls retain their galleries, changing cubicles, and — in the first-class pool — extraordinary stained glass windows.
The baths are open on selected weekends for tours and community events (check the website for current openings). Restoration work continues slowly, funded by heritage grants and events. Not all of the building is accessible, but what can be seen is spectacular and gives a clear picture of how seriously Victorian and Edwardian cities took the welfare of their citizens — and of the social stratification embedded in "first class" and "second class" pools separated only by a wall.